Changing Samsung S5 for Sony Z2? - Xperia Z2 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi All,
I am very disappointed with my current Samsung Galaxy S5 and wish to change it to the new Sony Xperia Z2, before I do I would like to ask some basic questions from fellow users
1) Is there any issue with rooting? does it void the warranty for good like with the KNOX 0/1 on new Samsung devices?
2) Battery life? is it any good?
3) Waterproof - is it really? MAIN question is can I use it underwater? does the screen respond when submerged or not? The S5 will survive immersion but it cannot be used under water as the screen does not respond...
4) ROM development, can someone suggest some really nice ROMS that are themed customised?

1. There is actually no problem with rooting, unlocking bootloader is not needed anymore so u still have warranty and phone is untouched, rooting process takes up to 5 mins withouth rebooting its really easy now.
2. Battery life is great! Even withouth build in battery savings
3.Screen isnt responsive under water,but you can still use camera underwater
4. I cant help with this as i am using factory rom.
Odoslané z D6503 pomocou Tapatalku

GODSPD said:
Hi All,
I am very disappointed with my current Samsung Galaxy S5 and wish to change it to the new Sony Xperia Z2, before I do I would like to ask some basic questions from fellow users
1) Is there any issue with rooting? does it void the warranty for good like with the KNOX 0/1 on new Samsung devices?
2) Battery life? is it any good?
3) Waterproof - is it really? MAIN question is can I use it underwater? does the screen respond when submerged or not? The S5 will survive immersion but it cannot be used under water as the screen does not respond...
4) ROM development, can someone suggest some really nice ROMS that are themed customised?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. From others it seems rooting it is easy, but it voids the warranty.
2. Battery life is one of the best you can get. Really long lasting.
3. No screen is usable when submerged, but you can take photos as there's a physical camera button with this phone.
4. Can't help you here, as I use the factory ROM
Sent from my D6503 using XDA Free mobile app

GODSPD said:
Hi All,
I am very disappointed with my current Samsung Galaxy S5 and wish to change it to the new Sony Xperia Z2, before I do I would like to ask some basic questions from fellow users
1) Is there any issue with rooting? does it void the warranty for good like with the KNOX 0/1 on new Samsung devices?
2) Battery life? is it any good?
3) Waterproof - is it really? MAIN question is can I use it underwater? does the screen respond when submerged or not? The S5 will survive immersion but it cannot be used under water as the screen does not respond...
4) ROM development, can someone suggest some really nice ROMS that are themed customised?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) No issues with rooting, in fact its even available on locked bootloader now! No. Rooting does not void warranty, unlocking bootloader might, but Sony typically never checks for such stuff.
2) Its the best among the current flagships. This thing is a beast, look here - http://www.gsmarena.com/battery-test.php3
3) YUP!! It has higher certification than S5 at it. But no, it can't be used underwater either but you can take pictures with the hardware shutter key.
4) If you want themes, those are built into stock too. These are just a few - http://www.xperiablog.net/2014/03/27/seven-new-xperia-themes-launched-from-knowit-mobile/

Thanks for the great insight, I will change over very shortly, battery life on the S5 is rubbish and xda development for the S5 is very narrow. I don't mind the Z2 being bigger as my all time favourite phone is still the Note 3, so I hope the Z2 can be a close match

You must go for Changing Samsung S5 for Sony Z2.
Sony Z2 is awesome and have many advance features that are you missing.

Z2 is really fantastic. In every way.
And batt life is awesome.

If its development you are looking for, im not sure z2 is the right device for you. Apart from that, great device.

If you're looking for dev support for the Z2, it might be a bit of a strange situation: Sony releases devices every ~6 months, so as the Z1 came out last autumn, the Z2 arrived this spring. Despite the quick cycles, cross-device development is still going quite well. I rooted my device using the "EasyRoot" exploit that was originally written for the Z1 Compact, so owning a Sony device may not be as bad as time moves on and newer phones are released.
All in all, a very good phone. Highly recommend rooting and installing Xposed. GravityBox and AppOps are fantastic contributions to an already good device.

For themes you REALLY have to start using some custom launchers like Nova, Apex etc. The themes is not a ''theme'' in that way. Just a change of background and some colours...

Sony Themes are much more than colours.

Z2 got camera button but S5 don't have.
Sent from my ST26i using XDA Free mobile app

Related

Advice request about Sony Xperia Tipo (ST21i, ST21a)

Hi all!
First of all I wish to thanks in advance for any of you who may stop by, and provide some tips, experience
regarding the next matter, advice request:
My context is that I am completely noob regarding choosing android phone.
I want to get my first one, but a low budget, and I thought about Sony Xperia Tipo, cause it uses Android ICS,
and its hardware specs are some better than comparing to others of similar budget as LG Optimus L3, Samsung Galaxy Mini
( phonearena.com/phones/compare/LG-Optimus-L3,Samsung-GALAXY-mini,Sony-Xperia-tipo/phones/6941,5147,7151 )
I already discarded going for Vodafone Smart II, cause after reading its thread in XDA (around 30 pages), despite it was posible
to be rooted at first, in 1 month the new versions have been capped by cel companies (the recovery, the fastboot etc), at least for Spain, Portugal versions, therefore the customization is getting quite impossible, or very random depending the version, the cel company, ...
I think the main problem it is that this Xperia Tipo has been released quite very recently,
and after been searching through forum about info for rooting the Xperia Tipo, I can't find any info about it :S.
So my 2 questions are:
- it is expected that Xperia Tipo will be rooted in a near future ( and therefore customizable with
ROMs ...) ?
- Taking in count any answer to this question, would you suggest to go for it,
or by other hand go for Samsung Galaxy Mini (despite it has worse HW, Android GingerBread,
BUT it has quite plenty support for rooting and flashing with custom ROMs) ?
Again thanks in advance for any advice, and excuse the long post! )
Cheers!
ive used this phone after recomending it for someone else. Its a great cheap ICS phone dont expect it to be really fast or to play excellant games but it is really good for the price under £100!!!. would i recomend it to someone else after using it YES!!!! just remember to clear the apps your not using from the RAM by pressing the Home key and holding it and swiping it to close it so it doesnt get laggy.
as for root im not a dev but im safley sure it will be rooted in the future as its got a SD card slot so its easier to install CWM recovery etc.
BUT it is new out and dont expect it to happen any time soon i have the Xperia U and thats been out ages now and i still dont have root it just takes time for the devs to get the phones and then to start work on them.
hope it helped
djpigz said:
ive used this phone after recomending it for someone else. Its a great cheap ICS phone dont expect it to be really fast or to play excellant games but it is really good for the price under £100!!!. would i recomend it to someone else after using it YES!!!! just remember to clear the apps your not using from the RAM by pressing the Home key and holding it and swiping it to close it so it doesnt get laggy.
as for root im not a dev but im safley sure it will be rooted in the future as its got a SD card slot so its easier to install CWM recovery etc.
BUT it is new out and dont expect it to happen any time soon i have the Xperia U and thats been out ages now and i still dont have root it just takes time for the devs to get the phones and then to start work on them.
hope it helped
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the tip!
Being cheap phone is ok, in fact that is what I seek for, a low budget phone as a start point, looking for customization.
Well, I could get that Xperia Tipo for £48, while the Samsung Galaxy Mini would cost £32. HW (CPU, inbuilt mem, display res) difference and phone release date diff, explain the price difference, hehe.
I was tempted to get Vodafone Smart II (for £48, I think), but atfer reading this whole thread forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1722811 , I found that it is a lottery, if I could get it rooted or not :S
My main doubt is if going for Samsung Galaxy Mini cause its great support in matters of rooting and customization, or expect that Xperia Tipo will get some nice support here in XDA, in the future ...
A third choice could be LG Optimus L3 which has worse display res, same price as Xperia Tipo, and it has some support here at forum for rooting and ROMs.
Regarding your Xperia U, I think there is quite nice support in this site, forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1728 , so you mention you still having probs to root it ?
I have just returned my Tipo today due to very poor reception. If you just want a phone to make calls and send texts then it should be more than adequate but if you are going to use it for browsing or games I would find something with a stronger processor as it can be very laggy after using it a while - even in menus. However the touchscreen is responsive and the display should be OK for making calls and texting but I found it very washed out when viewing pics etc. On my particular handset I could hear electrical interference through the headphones but this could be related to my reception fault I guess. If you can I advise you try it out before making a decision - if ur in the UK o2 shops usually have all there the phones on display switched on. If music is important to you the sound quality is very budget. Also the camera has no flash or autofocus. Tbh if it wasn't for the Sony xperia branding on the front I would have though this was a cheap chinese no-name handset as Sony really have cut costs on this one.
I can't comment on the Samsung but I have read bad things about the lg. Have you considered the Motosmart from Motorola. It has a similar spec to the tipo but at least the camera has a flash and its root able (running gingerbread)
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
I bought this phone a week ago. It's very nice for the price!. It isn't laggy, It has plenty of ram. Obviously it isn't so fast as would be needed for a device to play games,and doesn't have a big screen (or an hires one) if you have to surf the web a lot, but handles with no problems at all divx streaming from my pc, using mx-player. It's clearly better than vodafone smart_II and my device hasn't reception problems at all. The battery (this is a good point in my opinion) it's 1500mah just better than the usual 1200mah used in low-end devices
The camera can make decent photos but hasn't flash or aufocus at all & no front camera just like all the cheap phones.
BTW i think it's one of the best ICS devices avaiable here in Italy for about 150€.
I tried samsung galaxy mini too and this experia is a lot better in my opninion.
I have been using the mobile for more than a month... It's perfect .. Go for it... It is the best in the range... I do use it a lot and it has held up against everything... Custom ROM will be available veeeeeeeeeeeery soon... It is already rooted...
Sent from my ST21i using xda app-developers app
[help] firmware flash
my boot loader is unlocked and my device is stuck at boot with single vibration .
i need to install firmware but its get aborted everytime with an error
ERROR - ERR_SEVERITY="MAJOR";ERR_CODE="0019";ERR_DYNAMIC=" SIN header verification failed";
please help

Quick questions...

I'm just off to work but thinking of getting a Z2. So not trawled forum yet sorry...
Can it be rooted?
Will it void Warranty like Knox Counter on Note 3?
Are there as many custom ROMs as for Note 3?
....is it as good as the Note 3... (I had a Note 3 but found it lacking in comparison to the experience of the Note 2).
Thanks!!
myotai said:
I'm just off to work but thinking of getting a Z2. So not trawled forum yet sorry...
Can it be rooted?
Will it void Warranty like Knox Counter on Note 3?
Are there as many custom ROMs as for Note 3?
....is it as good as the Note 3... (I had a Note 3 but found it lacking in comparison to the experience of the Note 2).
Thanks!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes
NO
Yes
Better then Note 3
Man of few words eh?
Premium Software and Hardware
I switched from my note 3 SM-N900 to Z2 and let me tell you it is an upgrade.
20.7 Camera is more powerful and has a lot of useful features built in. You can make movies with it.
X-reality engine is amazing which brings life to pictures.
Beautiful free thems including the navigation bar.
Double tap to wake combined with lock screen app (swipe from home button app to lock screen). Now i don't press physical buttons anymore. Fast access and fast exit.
Less bloat apps. Lollipop update is near pure android.
Has a lot of rom more than twice as, devs, official CM. Z2 have a stable CM11 if I am not mistaken. Note 3 (Octa) still no CM that can be used for a semi daily use and deva are giving up (dead threads all over there).
I like not caring about spelling water on it. Waterproofness
To sum things up, Z2 is a everything you want in a device and Sony has done a great jop in their stock that you may not root it at all.
Sent from my D6503 using XDA Free mobile app

[Q] Questions from a potential buyer..tablet use/GPE/bugs

Hi everyone, I'm considering picking up this bad boy - however I have a few questions that I couldn't find answers to when casually perusing this forum.
1. I intend to use this as a tablet/secondary device - does this phone give annoying nag notifications or even remove key features like the addressbook if you use it w/o a sim? My old Xperia SL did this and I want to make sure this won't hinder usage as a tablet.
2. Are either the Sony or GPE editions of the Z Ultra completely bug free? My old Xperia SL developed quite a few bugs after a few updates which was annoying.
Just FYI, I'm considering either the Z Ultra or an 8in Windows 8 tablet like the Asus Note 8. I currently have an iPad Mini, but the wife has been using my iPad more and more instead of her (bulkier) Acer A500. I figure the Asus Note 8 or the Xperia Z Ultra are good devices that are different enough from the iPad to still be fun. Anyone that owns a small Windows 8 tablet and the Xperia Z Ultra please do list some pros/cons of either device.
1. I have no idea since I, and pretty much all the other ones around here use it as a phone, but I can't see why you can't just kick it permanently into Airplane Mode? That should shut it up (in theory)?
2.Pretty much yes. The few bugs that it does have aren't any serious ones. If you can choose which version to get, then get the Xperia version and not the GPe one. You'll have far more choices regarding ROM flashing and stuff like that down the road. You can flash the GPe build on the Xperia model, but you can't flash the Xperia ROM on the GPe model (yet), so keep that in mind. You're at XDA after all, so i'm guessing that you do want to fiddle with it down the road.
1. In the old firmware it did bug you and shutdown, I didn't look too hard at an solution, just flashed a custom ROM.
(snip)
sonus said:
2. Are either the Sony or GPE editions of the Z Ultra completely bug free? My old Xperia SL developed quite a few bugs after a few updates which was annoying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There ain't no such thing as 'bug free' software.
rayhighness said:
(snip)
There ain't no such thing as 'bug free' software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly.
There are issues with this phone
No flash so camera sucks.
screen does not turn off reliably during phone call. It is still a phone, a big one though and after a while of direct calls, you feel the heat.
Phone call volumes are bad.very bad.
screen is very reflective. badly need an antiglare.
I rarely use the write on screen feature, so it gives me lots of unwanted touches.
sim tray is extremely flimsy; silly design. Easy to break, loose.
and then some more.
I sometimes use it without sim and it doesnt cause issues. Just reboots when you remove/add a sim.
All said, this is still a very good phone. considering that i have used a Nexus 4 for quite a while, its better in features.
and great for reading/browsing if you can bear the glare.
macexplorer said:
Exactly.
There are issues with this phone
No flash so camera sucks.
screen does not turn off reliably during phone call. It is still a phone, a big one though and after a while of direct calls, you feel the heat.
Phone call volumes are bad.very bad.
screen is very reflective. badly need an antiglare.
I rarely use the write on screen feature, so it gives me lots of unwanted touches.
sim tray is extremely flimsy; silly design. Easy to break, loose.
and then some more.
I sometimes use it without sim and it doesnt cause issues. Just reboots when you remove/add a sim.
All said, this is still a very good phone. considering that i have used a Nexus 4 for quite a while, its better in features.
and great for reading/browsing if you can bear the glare.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks it sounds a lot like most of the bugs/issues are related to its phone features. As for the camera, no tablet has a flash as far as I know. All in all, it looks like this would make a great mini tablet and spare phone if I ever need one.

Questions before buying unlocked phone

Hi,
I'm looking into buying a Z5 Compact unlocked since I don't want something 5 inches or bigger.
I'm hoping to not install custom roms, at least not until Sony stops supporting it.
I've got a few questions :
Will I be able to get the stock rom updates from Sony or manually install them (without unlocking the bootloader)? My carrier doesn't sell the Z5 or Z5 Compact so I doubt I will receive updates from it.
I have read a few threads that makes me worried about the phone. People seems to say it's sluggish and the camera app takes a while to start. Is it working better on the latest stock rom?
Is the stock rom good or should I really look into flashing a custom rom?
Would you guys recommend another Android phone? I would like a compact phone that can last me for a good 3 years, maybe a little more. Right now I own a Nexus 4 that is a little over 3 years old and while it still working rather well it is starting to show signs of its age (like the battery that doesn't last for very long anymore and the phone sometimes struggle running the latest games...)
Thanks

Should I upgrade to Xperia Z5 Premium From Z2?

As the title says should I do it? Xperia Z5 Premium is better than Z2 but the support on Xperia Z5 Pre forums is nearly dead. Abd Xperia Z5 Pre will not get android 8.0 imo becuase no one seems to talk about it on their forums. So should I stay with my Z2?
I don't recommend to do it.. Better buy XZP if u re interested in 4k screens.
Sent from my E6633 using Tapatalk
I want to upgrade from z2, any suggest?
Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk
shehabskull said:
I don't recommend to do it.. Better buy XZP if u re interested in 4k screens.
Sent from my E6633 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't mind how my screen looks. If my screen is good enough then I am ok with it. I just wanted to get someone's opinion.
Go with S8/S9 or even the A8. I have lost faith in Sony's camera output, Amoled screen can also be a single reason to switch
No doubt... XZ premium.. True Sony...
Not sure about Z5 premium, but last week, after good few years with it, I upgraded from Z2 (currently Carbon Black ROM) to Z5 dual SIM (stock ROM so far). I like the look of it, how it handles, how fast and responsive it is. Fingerprint reader is an added bonus.
Brand new unlocked Z5 phone is aprox 290USD in my country. I would say you get quite a good spec for your moneys. Most of my friends have their Huawei and Lenovo crap, despite being few years old Z5 still shines here.
Just my 2 cents.
Cheers
Buy a Oneplus 5t or wait for the 6. its cheaper and has flagship specs better than the lastest xz
So let me ask this question in a diffrent way then... Should I switch to Z5P if I am getting it for free?
oguzbatu said:
So let me ask this question in a diffrent way then... Should I switch to Z5P if I am getting it for free?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
is this a question to ask. You must take everything for free that is offered in life :laugh:
Hariskh said:
is this a question to ask. You must take everything for free that is offered in life :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I mean I am student and my dad bought a new phone for himself and he asked me If I wanted to switch to his Z5P. I am just scared of the support on Z5P xda forum. Because there only a few developers working on that phone but Z2 has many developpers working for it. So if the situation is now clear should I use Z5P as my daily phone or keep using Z2?
oguzbatu said:
I mean I am student and my dad bought a new phone for himself and he asked me If I wanted to switch to his Z5P. I am just scared of the support on Z5P xda forum. Because there only a few developers working on that phone but Z2 has many developpers working for it. So if the situation is now clear should I use Z5P as my daily phone or keep using Z2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If i were you i would keep my Z2 as i dont like sony stock firmware as it runs slow and lags for me, I dont know about the Z5 premium if it lags or not but developer support is a must in my case
The developers support is the problem, although xz premium has less developers than other devices
Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk
If you look at developers support..a phone developer support starts when the company ends support for the device... Looking at Z2, from 2014 to 2016 though there is developers working at various roms, infact for stability most of us preferred staying on stock rom and only few people who unlocked bootloader to experiment with latest android and new features ported from flagship devices... Since Z2 was one hell of a flagship it didn't need much working on..just a latest version rom satisfy but on the same hand stock rom also new and was pretty happy to have all stock features.
And Z2 wasn't laggy or slow and it's smooth as butter all days long. Towards end of 2016 when Sony said end of support, then starts people like us frequently visiting XDA for new roms with latest version, latest security patch. Also more developers starts getting involved to take Z2 to a new height to keep it updated and last long.
Likewise Z5 premium which is not laggy or slow has got nougat and end of Sony support is happening.. So from this year end onwards there will b developers getting involved more to bring new roms nd features to the Z5 premium.
One problem is we don't want to lose Z5 premium 4K features and other stock functions.. For that we need to stay on stock rom. There is custom alternatives for Z5 premium and few mods can enhance stock usability of that phone.
If u ask why z5 premium not that popular is bcos of its snapdragon 810 chipset which was a failure when launched bcos of overheating and battery issues... 810 easily heats up... Sony did made updates to control overheating by downgrading performance. Still losing a single 1% performance is not acceptable for people like us..
So now there's d answer solving all problem, getting that rich premium feel and big 4K with snapdragon 835. And that is XZ premium..
If u don't overuse the phone Z5 premium is ur best friend for life. Otherwise XZ premium if u can ask dad to buy it. Or exchange Z2 but I don't think there is much resale value for Z2 in 2018.
If Current Z2 has not much problem then use it for 1 more year... Snapdragon 801 is performing well above expectation comparing to newer phones on market.. Except latest android....
Still it's ur call...
mahesh911 said:
If you look at developers support..a phone developer support starts when the company ends support for the device... Looking at Z2, from 2014 to 2016 though there is developers working at various roms, infact for stability most of us preferred staying on stock rom and only few people who unlocked bootloader to experiment with latest android and new features ported from flagship devices... Since Z2 was one hell of a flagship it didn't need much working on..just a latest version rom satisfy but on the same hand stock rom also new and was pretty happy to have all stock features.
And Z2 wasn't laggy or slow and it's smooth as butter all days long. Towards end of 2016 when Sony said end of support, then starts people like us frequently visiting XDA for new roms with latest version, latest security patch. Also more developers starts getting involved to take Z2 to a new height to keep it updated and last long.
Likewise Z5 premium which is not laggy or slow has got nougat and end of Sony support is happening.. So from this year end onwards there will b developers getting involved more to bring new roms nd features to the Z5 premium.
One problem is we don't want to lose Z5 premium 4K features and other stock functions.. For that we need to stay on stock rom. There is custom alternatives for Z5 premium and few mods can enhance stock usability of that phone.
If u ask why z5 premium not that popular is bcos of its snapdragon 810 chipset which was a failure when launched bcos of overheating and battery issues... 810 easily heats up... Sony did made updates to control overheating by downgrading performance. Still losing a single 1% performance is not acceptable for people like us..
So now there's d answer solving all problem, getting that rich premium feel and big 4K with snapdragon 835. And that is XZ premium..
If u don't overuse the phone Z5 premium is ur best friend for life. Otherwise XZ premium if u can ask dad to buy it. Or exchange Z2 but I don't think there is much resale value for Z2 in 2018.
If Current Z2 has not much problem then use it for 1 more year... Snapdragon 801 is performing well above expectation comparing to newer phones on market.. Except latest android....
Still it's ur call...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know how to XZ premium feels becuase he had bought it for himself asked me if I wanted to switch to his Z5P. So I read what you have written and I will keep my Z2 for now and watch the Z5P forum if it gets any atention by developers. Only thing I can complain about Z2 is it's cameras. Main camera used to be good but after many years some scratches appread on the camera lens so the quality of my pictures dropped a little bit but the main camera is still usable. Frontal camera was bad and still bad so nothing I can do about that. So the Z5P will stay as a backup phone for now and maybe I will switch to it as the time goes on.

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